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Shire PLC acquired Advanced BioHealing for $750 million, which makes Dermagraft bio-engineered skin patches in San Diego, CA. As part of Shire's Specialty Pharmaceuticals business, the company will "leverage biologic manufacturing expertise from Shire's Human Genetic Therapies business. Kevin Rakin, CEO of Advanced BioHealing, will continue to lead this business within the Shire organization." The organization is planning a clinical trial for EB.

Intercytex and debra of America announce the start of a Phase II trial with the Intercytex therapy ICX-RHY to treat skin erosions in patients suffering from the severe Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa (RDEB).

The long-awaited early results of the first clinical trial of bone-marrow transplant in children with Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa (RDEB), carried out at the University of Minnesota in the USA, have now been published. It is still very early following the transplantation treatment, and the full results with the long-term outcomes for these pioneering patients and their families may take a long time, possibly years, to become clear.

debra of America Board of Trustees member Alex Silver testified in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. The hearing was held in Washington, DC, on Wednesday July 21, 2010 and focused on treating rare diseases and promoting the development of treatments and cures.

Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue announced this morning the expansion of Social Security's "Compassionate Allowances" program, which provides expedited review of disability applications from people with severely disabling conditions. The announcement was made in a NORD press release.